


The Winds of Change [Guzma x OC]

by TechnoFay



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Main Video Game Series)
Genre: At least we hope, Bickering, Canon Universe, Character Development, Clove's Pokemon are gonna fuck things up, F/M, Guzma Being a Pissbaby, Guzma is precious and must be protected, If your Pokemon aren't characters too then something is wrong, Original Character(s), Original Pokemon Trainer - Freeform, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Pokemon - Freeform, Post-Game(s), Rating May Change, They Will Always Be Bickering, This is gonna be awkward for everyone involved, Undecided Relationship(s)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-02-27
Updated: 2018-06-03
Packaged: 2018-09-27 06:23:42
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 11,590
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9980240
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TechnoFay/pseuds/TechnoFay
Summary: Clove has had an eye out for skilled trainers in the Alola region. Her job is simple; recruit them and take them on a month long trip around Johto to battle and help attract more tourists.The only snag is the trainer she chose...





	1. A Storm Rolls In

**Author's Note:**

> I'll warn you all now that I've yet to play Sun/Moon myself, but I've been pulled into the Guzma trash pile and was inspired, so here we go!
> 
> Clove's current Pokemon:
> 
> Female Espeon: Samantha  
>  _(Psychic, Hyper Voice, Shadow Ball, Toxic) Synchronize Ability ___  
> Shiny Male Vaporeon: Silver  
>  _(Bite, Surf, Ice Beam, Rain Dance) Water Absorb Ability ___  
> Male Houndoom: Chase  
>  _(Flamethrower, Sunny Day, Dark Pulse, Solar Beam) Flash Fire Ability ___  
> Female Furret: Julia  
>  _(Dig, Thunder, Shadow Claw, U-Turn) Keen Eye Ability ___  
> Female (Alola) Ninetales: Felicity  
>  _(Dazzling Gleam, Blizzard, Hypnosis, Hex) Snow Warning Ability ___  
> Male Rockruff: Bruce  
>  _(Rock Tomb, Rock Polish, Crunch, Thunder Fang) Vital Spirit Ability ___

A grand battle was playing out on the beach between the newest Alola champion and former leader of Team Skull, Guzma. Clove watched the battle from a distance, both amused and fascinated; the pair was well matched, but it was clear that even as young as they were, the champion deserved their title. After some time, Guzma's last Pokemon fell and the pair exchanged words, then the champion left.

Clove hung back until the champion had disappeared around the curve of the beach, leaving Guzma standing alone. She approached him with a brisk stride, unhindered by the sand even though her platformed heels were not appropriate beach attire. Her black tote bag bounced against her leg with every step, her hand going to protectively hold it in place.

Guzma raised his head and eyed her warily as she came near, clearly unsure how to handle her. She was slight, a mere wisp of a woman with billowy copper hair that stood stark against her leafy green dress. He grew nervous the closer she got to him, and knew for a fact there wasn't anyone else out here to speak of, so it was clear she was coming to speak with him. What on earth did this woman want?

She closed the distance between them, offering him a pleasant, professional smile that set alarms off in his head. “My name's Clove,” she spoke, dipping her head to him politely.

Guzma couldn't think of anything to say, and let the first thing that came to his mind tumble out of his mouth. “Clove? As in the spice?” he asked, wishing he said nothing as soon as he spoke.

Nice going Guzma...

“Yes... my family likes plant names...” she said slowly, a strained look crossing her face. “At least I didn't get named after my grandma Bracken.”

“Fair point... now whadda ya want?” He huffed; if she didn't spit it out soon, he was just going to leave; his Pokemon needed to rest anyways, so he really didn't want to be held up here by some strange woman. He had enough of strange women to last a lifetime.

“Well... have you ever thought you could be something more?”

Guzma scrunched his face up, looking insulted. “What?”

“I've been watching you for some time now,” she began, but was interrupted by a loud snort from him.

“Yeah, that's not creepy at all,” he side eyed her, crossing his arms and looking impatient.

“Right...” she replied then straightened up, starting over. “Seriously though; you've been beaten four – no, five times by that kid,” she counted off the matches on one hand, then mirrored his stance by crossing her arms. “Don't you think it's time to try something new?”

Guzma stiffened at her words, rising up to his full height. Even slouched over as he was, he was still easily head taller than her, but she remained unfazed, her head tilting up to follow his gaze. “Shit, listen here lady, I'm just fine doing my own thing here, I don't need you to come pokin' around in my business!” He snapped, jabbing a finger at her.

“I... apologize...” Clove frowned, realizing that her approach was far too rough and eased back a bit. “Alright, why I'm here is to offer you the chance to explore other regions and battle new trainers. In return, I –”

“No.”

“Bu–”

“No,” he repeated more firmly. “I don't need to go anywhere else to get strong, I'm strong enough right here! Just wait, I'll stomp that kid, sure enough, I just need to train some more...” The more he spoke, the less confident he felt about his own words; it was his own weakness that brought about all those disasters with the Ultra Beasts and Lusamine. He suppressed a shudder at the thought of her, glaring down at Clove in attempt to drive her off.

“You're still here?! Piss off! Why not go bother that brat instead? I'm sure they would be thrilled!” he waved a hand to shoo her away but Clove merely looked on, clearly determined to get him to accept her deal.

“Alright, if you won't come with me, then why don't we just have a battle instead?”

“What?”

“A battle, when your Pokemon are rested of course. I can come back tomorrow evening and we can have friendly match.”

“What's the catch?” Guzma asked suspiciously; this chick was up to something, he could sense it.

“No catch, just a traditional battle. I'll even let you decide how many Pokemon we use,” she said, her eyes glinting in the sunlight.

Guzma shifted from foot to foot, chewing his tongue in thought; how dangerous could one battle be? He hadn't meet many other trainers as strong as the champion, and it would be worth the risk to crush this chick for pestering him like she was. He sneered at the thought of her expression after he won; yeah, this was clearly going to be worth his time.

Clove waited patiently for him to reply, her arms propped on her hips.

“Alright girlie, you have a deal,” he said finally, leaning down so their faces were only inches apart. He found this was an easy way to intimidate others, and his size certainly helped. “I just hope you're ready for me to annihilate you.”

Clove turned her head to the side slightly, a grin flickering across her face at his words. “If anyone's getting annihilated, it's you,” she said smoothly, tapping him on the nose and making him flinch. Taking that as some small victory, her grin widened and she turned from him, sending him an offhanded wave.

“Three o' clock sharp; be ready, destruction in human form,” she shot over her shoulder, her tone making his blood boil.

“You just wait girlie! I'm going to destroy you!”

* * *

They met that following day, and true to his word, Guzma was there on time; he had actually shown up early and was giving his Pokemon a pep talk when Clove arrived.

“Alright, we've taken on much tougher trainers then this, so let's show this chick what we're made of!” Guzma was saying as Clove approached him, this time accompanied by an Espeon and a Rockruff. He noted the dress she was wearing, a similar cut to the one from yesterday, only this one was dyed a brilliant sky blue; this woman must have an entire rainbow of the same dress. She was carrying a Drifloon umbrella which confused Guzma to no end as the sun was high and there were no clouds in sight.

The Rockruff with her was clearly less trained than the psychic Pokemon, and was busily running laps around the other two as they approached. Clove looked down, bringing her fingers to her lips and letting out a sharp whistle to get the Pokemon's attention. The Rockruff turned to look at her, tripping over his front paws and bowling over into the sand. Guzma burst into laughter at the sight.

“I do hope that he's not one of the Pokemon you're going to challenge me with; he's justa pup!” he snickered. Clove sent him a icy look, bending down to help the Rockruff out of the sand.

“I just caught him, so he's not trained. Come here Bruce,” she cooed at the Rockruff, pulling him out of the hole he had dug himself into. Bruce wasn't bothered in the slightest by the conversation, trying to lick at Clove's face and completely obvious to the fact he was being mocked.

“Now... aren't we here to battle?” Clove asked, shifting her grip on the pup and facing him. Guzma grinned, calling all his Pokemon back, save his Golisopod and turned to face her. His stance showed a lot more confidence than she had seen in a while, and it was rather impressive; too bad there was no way he was going to beat her.

“Alright, if you got enough Pokemon for it, what do ya say to a five Pokemon limit? One-on-one of course,” Guzma asked, cocking his head to the side and grinning at her. Clove smirked at the sight, nodding in agreement.

“Five Pokemon it is then, shall we get started?” she replied, pulling a Pokeball from her bag and sending out a Vaporeon. A pink Vaporeon. Guzma was amused by her pick to say the least, though he doubted that tiny thing would last long against his Golisopod.

“I'm ready if you are girlie,” he sneered at her, inwardly annoyed that her smirk hadn't disappeared yet; he would just have to wipe it off her face then.

“Then let's go.” Clove's grin widened farther and the battle began, starting with her Vaporeon using Rain Dance. The storm clouds gathered quickly, soaking the beach in a matter of minutes. Guzma flipped up the hood to his jacket; no wonder she brought an umbrella.

“Golisopod, First Impression!” he ordered, letting out a triumphant cry when the attack made contact. The Vaporeon rolled across the wet sand, shakily getting to his feet then standing firm. The hit had definitely hurt, but he was far from down and out.

“Silver! Use Bite!” Clove called out, and the Vaporeon obeyed, darting around the Golisopod's legs and latching onto its back.

Guzma grit his teeth, cupping his hands to his mouth and shouting through the rain. “Waterfall! Use Waterfall and knock em loose!”

“That won't help you much, Sliver has the Water Absorb ability,” Clove smirked from underneath her umbrella. “You're in close! Hit him with an Ice Beam!”

Guzma cursed; this bitch was more skilled than he thought, watching helplessly as his Golisopod took the hit. Lucky enough, it wasn't enough to knock him out, giving Guzma to utilize his ability and switch Golisopod out with Scizor.

Clove clicked her tongue, mulling over the change; Silver probably was just as fast as Scizor, but he would have a hard time hitting him while he was in the air... “Silver return!” She dug in her bag and tossed another Pokeball, sending out a Furret.

Guzma was less than impressed by her choice, by after the Vaporeon, he wasn't going to take any chances. He would power attack to victory, no matter what it took. “Scizor use Night Slash!”

“Julia, Thunder!”

As soon as those words left her lips, Guzma knew he was in trouble; the attack struck Scizor right before he could make contact with the Furret, a one hit KO. The rest of the battle went by in a blur, the majority of his Pokemon taken out by Clove's Furret before she switched out to her Vaporeon again. By the end of it, all five of his Pokemon were down, and hers were barely winded from battle.

“Unbelievable...” Guzma muttered, sinking down onto the wet sand. The clouds had cleared halfway through the battle, but the ground – and his clothes – were still damp. Clove walked up to him, tucking her umbrella away, the Espeon trailing behind her. Her Rockruff squirmed out of her grip, running up and licking Guzma on the face, who shrunk back and scolded the Pokemon.

“Cut it out will ya?” He growled, making the pup whimper and scamper back to his trainer.

“He can see your upset,” Clove said calmly, stroking the Rockruff on the head.

“And yer just standing there all proud of yourself aren't ya girlie?” He huffed, the bitterness poorly disguised by pomp.

“It's Clove, and have you reconsidered my offer?” she asked. Guzma clenched his jaw, looking away from her. He wanted to just say no out of spite from losing, but during the battle, he had to admit that she knew things he didn't, and the only real way he could learn those tricks would be to leave the island and follow her. He had just opened his mouth to answer her when a familiar voice called out to him and instantly brought back those spiteful thoughts.

“Guzma! I see you've met the lovely Clove!” Hala called to them across the beach.

“I'm not gonna let you mentor me! I don't need yer help!” Guzma groaned, burying his face in his hand.

Hala's brows shot up his forehead at Guzma's words, almost disappearing into his white hair. “Oh? So you've decided to go with Clove instead? I do believe this program will do wonders for your battling skills,” he said cheerfully, ignoring the deadpan expression on Guzma's face.

Clearly this was some sort of nightmare and he would wake up soon. Hopefully.

While Hala was speaking, Clove was digging around in her bag, drawing out what looked to be a business card. There was a picture of the ocean and a small cruise boat, the lettering written in silvery ink. She held it out to Guzma and offered him a genuine smile. “If you change your mind about leaving, you can come see me at the motel on route 2–”

“I won't though!” Guzma cut in and Clove's tone shifted back to her usual sass.

“That's why I said “if”,” she said coolly, pushing the card into his hand then waving goodbye.

“I would take her up on her offer; she's traveled many regions to get as strong as she is now. And perhaps some of her good nature will rub off on you. If not, I can still mentor you,” Hala added with a sly smile, nodding his head and trotting off to leave Guzma with his thoughts.

He had been creamed twice in two days... and no matter how frustrating Clove could be, she would still be more refreshing to be around than Hala. He glanced down at the business card then stuffed it into his soggy pocket, cursing under his breath.

“Shit Guzma, what are you getting yourself into now?”

 


	2. Setting Sail

 

Two days later, Guzma broke down and decided to go see Clove, calling up the motel she was staying at and requesting a meeting with her; he figured he could at least hear her out before he rejected the idea completely. And he did think it would be nice to see someplace besides the islands.

Seated in the small cafe inside the motel, Clove saw him coming, the tiniest hint of a smirk tugging at the corner of her mouth as she watched him head up to the front desk to inquire about her.

The desk clerk pointed out Clove's table and after a moment's hesitation, Guzma thanked him, cramming his hands into his pockets and heading her way. Today she was in a sunny yellow dress, the bright color drawing his attention to just how tan she was. Well, they were on a tropical island... if she wasn't burnt, than of course she would be tan. He shoved this thought away as he neared her table, wishing he could wipe that smug look off her face.

“I'll take it you reconsidered?” She spoke as soon as he was within earshot. Her Espeon lay curled up in a perfect circle on the floor beside her, eyes opening to slits to inspect the newcomer, then shutting once more.

“I just want to know what I would be getting into if I went on your little trip – ” Guzma started, drawing a hand out of his pocket to silence her; “not that I am mind you!” He said pointedly, eyes shifting away to take in his surroundings. There were several other trainers here, most of them avoiding his gaze like they would be paralyzed by it; well, it was good to see he could still strike fear into some people, he thought with satisfaction.

“Come take a seat and we can discuss the various options the program offers,” Clove said, her voice drawing him back to reality. She pulled out the chair beside her, indicating he should use it.

“I don't have to sign nothin' for this, right?” He asked, sinking into the seat beside her and awkwardly attempting to tuck his legs beneath the table. The table she was at was tiny, and offered little leg room, so he begrudgingly shifted his chair to the side and kept his feet tucked in. Wasn't much else he could do without tripping a waitress.

Clove waited patiently for him to get situated, shaking her head at his question. “No, the only way you'll end up signing anything is if you agree to a travel plan,” she said, pulling a binder out of her bag. She flipped it open and laid it flat on the table, turning it so he could read the contents. She pointed to the first page, which had a number of listings that appeared to be various forms of transportation and pricing.

“The first part of the trip is getting you to Johto, and as you can see, there's several options if the distance is too far for a Pokemon, or you haven't the means otherwise.” She ran a finger down the list of boating and flight options; there even looked to be the choice of a train if you were on the mainland.

Guzma leaned down to look over the options; he wasn't too keen on flying, so a boat would be his best bet. Something towards the bottom of the listings caught his eye, and he immediately asked about it. “What's a “battle cruise”? It sounds badass.”

Clove looked mildly surprised by his choice; more so for the price tag than the notion of him wanting to pick it. “A battle cruise is exactly as it sounds; a week long cruise in which trainers can enter different tournaments while aboard.” She tapped the listing with one carefully trimmed nail. “It's by far the slowest way to get to Johto, but if you enjoy battling, then it might be a good choice,” she said, pausing a moment before adding; “plus, there's always the opportunity to win money to help fund the trip.”

Guzma listened to her intently, scoffing at the comment on price. “I'm not worried about the price, and besides, I'm going to be the strongest trainer on that boat,” he boasted, tilting back his chair so it balanced on two legs. Clove cleared her throat, raising a brow at his comment and earned a scowl in return.

“Fine... second strongest – for now,” he waved a hand at her, his chair teetering back a little too far. Cursing, he tried to lean forward but over corrected, the legs of the chair snapping back down to the tile floor with a loud bang. Heads turned to look at them and Guzma puffed up. “What?” One by one, the other patrons returned to their meals as Guzma looked on in triumph. “That's what I thought.”

Clove let out a heavy sigh. “If you're quite done posturing, we can get back to business,” she said dryly, waiting until Guzma returned his attention to her.

“No need to get all pissy...” he grumbled.

“Now we can discuss what parts of Johto you want to see,” she said, ignoring his remark and flipping to the next page where a blown up map of the region. There were several different colored lines tracing through the cities and routes, the route information color-coded on the adjacent page. “Most of these packages will take about three weeks to a month to complete. There's also plans for shorter or longer routes, custom options, and even an entire tour of the region if you choose.” She drew her hand back and let Guzma look over the binder, her mouth drawn in a thin line.

With how difficult his personality was, Clove was beginning to question her choice on offering this opportunity to him, but after seeing his transition from Team Skull leader and her discussion with Hala, she felt that Guzma did deserve the chance... even if he was a complete pain in her ass.

After a few minutes of carefully inspecting each route, Guzma pushed back the binder and propped his head up on his hand. “Alright so... it seems legit. But I've still got some questions,” he said, watching Clove perk up.

“Go right ahead; I'll answer any questions you have.”

“Cool, so... why is your Vaporeon named Silver? When he's pink?”

Clove stared at him a moment, the question taking a bit to process in her mind. “I – what?”

“Well seriously; he's pink so I wanna know why you named him Silver,” he said, a grin stretching across his face at the confused expression on hers. “Hey, you did say you would answer any question, and it was bothering me.”

“His name's Silver because when I first got him as an Eevee with Samantha, he had silver fur instead of brown,” she said, her face sour. Samantha raised her head, regarding Guzma with a deep stare, and Clove's hand found her fur, gently petting her behind her ears. The sensation seemed to soothe her somewhat, and she took a deep breath.

“Now, have you any questions about the trip?” Clove asked, sounding irritated.

A full grin crept across Guzma's lips; he really didn’t have to work hard to get her riled up, and something about that delighted him. “I think I have a few more questions,” he replied, dropping the grin as his mood sobered. There was still something bothering him, namely on how this woman seemed to have turned up out of nowhere. Clove had noticed the change, her hand pausing mid stroke, much to Samantha's displeasure.

“You probably won't like me asking this, but I need to know if I'm stuck traveling with you,” Guzma warned her, watching as she shifted in her chair, and decided just to spit it out; if she didn't want to answer, then fine. “How did you come to the islands to begin with?” There was a heavy silence hanging in the air after the question left his lips, and Clove didn't reply immediately.

Of course he would ask about this... especially after she said she had been watching him before. Now she really wished she hadn't said anything, as there was a good chance if she refused to answer, then he would decide not to take her deal. And, she had to admit that he was right; if she was going to be giving him the tour, he did need to trust her.

“I am– or suppose, I was a member of the Aether Foundation,” she amended, noting the shift in Guzma's expression, like something dark had taken hold. Clearly his past experiences with the organization had sullied his opinion, not to say it wasn't justified.

“If it's any sort of relief, I – along with many of the other employees – were not aware of any of the... unfortunate circumstances the founder was involved in. My work was done purely in the field, and only involved rehabilitating Pokemon,” Clove said firmly. She sat back in her seat as Guzma mulled over her words, and when it seemed like he found nothing wrong with them, he rolled his hand for her to continue.

“I transferred out from the Pokemon Rangers in Johto to work as a field agent, rescuing injured Pokemon and either tending to their wounds there, or on occasion when the injuries were severe, I would take them back to the center for rehabilitation,” she explained, hoping that as shady of dealings as her former employers had been involved in, they wouldn't reflect too harshly on her own work.

“Truth be told, it was after that entire fiasco that I was approached by my current employer with a job offer. I was told that my experience in the Johto region made me a perfect candidate for a tour guide since I already know the terrain,” she finished, exhaling slowly then leveling her gaze on Guzma. “I take it that's satisfactory enough information, or would you like to see my resume as well?” she asked, her tone quite serious.

“Nah, not really,” Guzma said dismissively, his grin widening at the nasty look Clove was sending him. “But, if it makes you feel better, I'll go on your little tour... trip thing,” he added before she could say anything else, his words successfully placating her. He regarded his nails as he spoke further, savoring the fact he got under her skin so easily. “I want to take the battle boat there and we can take...” he rolled his wrist then pointed to one of the mid range packages, “this route.”

As soon as he had told her his choices, Clove snatched the binder from beneath his hand and shut it, stowing it back into her bag, her previous excitement returning. “Excellent! I'll begin making the arrangements then,” she said crisply. “One last question; when would you like to leave?”

Guzma paused, already halfway out of his chair when she asked him that. “How about...” he trailed off as he considered this, rising to his feet slowly and standing by the table to give her his response. When would be a good time? It wasn't as if he had many people to tell he was leaving... some of them it would probably be better if he said nothing at all.

He rubbed his hand on his chin, gaze dropping back down to Clove, whom was still seated at the table, head tilted back so she could look at him. “How about today?”

“T-today?” Clove asked, positively floored by the notion. She drummed her hands on the table, eyes darting around nervously as she thought, then dropped down to retrieve her phone from her bag.

“Today... today... I... might be able to make that work,” she tapped away at her phone as she spoke, “but we'll have to get ready right now. The battle cruise leaves port at seven tonight, so we've only a few hours. I can draw up the paperwork and if you meet me back here by five, we can get you signed up and onto that ship.” She looked back up at him, serious now. “Are you certain you want to do this? Especially so... soon?”

Guzma was uncharacteristically silent for a few moments, his face unreadable. He had felt it for quite some time that he no longer belonged here, or perhaps he never belonged to begin with; at this point, leaving the islands completely just... made sense. “Why not?” he said finally, shoving his hands into his pockets and smirking at her.

Having nothing to say to oppose his words, Clove dipped her head to him, slipping the strap of her bag on her shoulder and stood. “Alright, you go home and pack your things, then be back here by five. I'll be waiting here for you with the paperwork,” she said, thrusting out her hand for him to shake.

He started at her oddly, his eyes dropping to her hand as he slowly extended his own, his hand engulfing hers. He shook it once, then quickly released it, like he would catch something if he held her hand too long.

Clove looked put out, but forced a smile on her face anyways, waving him off. “Well, there's much to do, I'll see you in a few hours,” she said briskly, striding past him to the main lobby. “Come now Samantha,” she called over her shoulder. The Espeon slowly uncoiled herself and stretched out, staring at Guzma for an uncomfortably long time then trotting after her trainer.

“That was awkward as hell...” Guzma muttered to himself, jamming his hands back into his pockets and leisurely strolling out of the building.

He took his time getting home, as while Clove was unaware of this fact, Guzma had already packed. Well, more accurately, he never unpacked after moving back in with his parents. The thought wasn't exactly at the forefront of his mind, but after Clove had mentioned leaving, it was all he could do to rush out.

That, and he supposed this would be a good of reason as any to leave again, grimacing at a thought. “Better not tell mom...”


	3. Casting Off

When Clove came down to the cafe a half hour till five, she was surprised to find that Guzma was already there waiting for her, his bag slung over the back of his chair. He had Golisopod out and was busily fussing over him, unaware of his surroundings. Marveling over the fact that he had beat her, she approached him from behind, clearing her throat. “Nice to see you, though it's earlier than I expected.”

He started a bit and turned to give her a dirty look, but her interruption got a bigger reaction out of Golisopod, who ducked underneath the table in an attempt to hide, nearly knocking it over onto the floor. “You big baby...” Guzma muttered to the Pokemon, patting at his head then redirecting his attention to Clove. “You said to be here by five, and it ain't five yet, so what's the problem?” He said in irritation. While unwilling to disclose this to Clove, he had gotten here over an hour ago and was ready to leave; preferably before anyone he knew saw him heading to the docks.

Clove looked stung by his words, wheeling her bags over to the other side of the table. She had a sizable collection, a large sapphire colored suitcase with two smaller matching carry-ons, and her tote bag, it was a wonder she managed to get them all downstairs in one trip.

“There's no problem, I'm just glad you're here so we don't miss the boat,” she said, taking a deep breath to maintain her professionalism and sat down in the seat across from him. She drew her tote bag to the table, riffling through the stacks of papers within and pulled out a plain braded folder. “Now, I've got the contract here if you'd like to read it over. There's a required deposit at the beginning of the trip of at least half the trip's expenses, or you can pay outright.” She said, then passed him the contract, giving him time to look it over while she double checked her bags.

Guzma flipped through the contract, skimming over each section until he reached the end, clicking his tongue as he looked at the price tag. The total package was a good chunk of change, but given it was the equivalent to a month long vacation, he supposed it was reasonable.

“Alright... do I just give the money to you?” he asked, digging out his wallet. Part of him wondered if this was some sort of ponzi scheme to con unsuspecting young trainers out of their winnings, but as bright as Clove was, he didn't think she had the guts to swindle people. She was sure this job was genuine; he just hoped her instincts were right and boss was legitimate.

“Yes. Until we get more revenue, I'm acting as recruitment, secretary, treasurer and tour guide,” she said, offering him a wry smile. She would be glad to move past this point so she could stick with being just a guide, but the company needed to gain some standing with the public first.

Guzma stared at her a moment, nodding his head, then dropped his gaze back down to count out the total. “Right. Here you are,” he said, passing her the wad of bills as casually as he would if she asked for a salt shaker instead.

Clove stared at the money then slowly reached out to take it from him, counting and recounting the stack. “You're... going to pay it all up front?” she said in disbelief.

“Obviously that's what I'm doin' since I'm handing you the money,” he replied, trying to coax Golisopod out from underneath the table. The Pokemon chittered at his trainer, casting an uneasy look at Clove, then scuttled to safety behind Guzma, who looked exasperated by his behavior. He redirected his attention to Clove, gesturing to the money in her hands. “What, is the payment not good enough?”

Clove's eyes widened at his words. “I just –” She fumbled, but was cut off.

“Didn't expect me to have the money?” Guzma offered, raising a brow as she tried to defend herself. He had the faintest hint of a smirk on his face as he was in no way offended by her statement, amused when she finally caught on.

“Not you per se,” Clove clarified in a icy tone, clearly miffed by his teasing. “I just didn't expect my first client to pay outright.” She cleared her throat again, stowing the contract and money away in a lockbox in her suitcase. “Well, come on then, we've a boat to board.”

Not needing any extra persuasion, Guzma rose to his feet, recalling Golisopod back to his ball and slung his bag over one shoulder. “Don't want him mucking things up in customs,” he explained, following Clove outside where a shuttle was waiting to take them to the docks; “he's not very fond of crowds outside of battle.”

They made their way to the shuttle, loading their belongings up and settling towards the back. The shuttle carried them all the way to the gates, where they unloaded and headed inside to get checked in. A familiar figure came into view as they approached the gate, and Clove stretched up on her toes to get a better look through the crowds. “Hala?!” she exclaimed.

Guzma glared at her; he was a fool for thinking he could get out of here without bumping into someone... at least it wasn't his parents.

“I didn't tell anyone! It's not my place!” she said defensively as they neared Hala.

“She didn't say anything Guzma,” Hala laughed; “I just happened to be passing by.”

Guzma wasn't convinced, more so about Hala saying he was “just passing by” than anything that had to do with Clove; Hala had a bad habit of popping up when he was least expected – and wanted. Worst of all, Hala was a recognized figure, even more so than Guzma himself, so his presence was drawing a lot of unwanted attention; yet another inconvenience. He was pulled out of his thoughts when he realized Hala was speaking to him again, and Guzma looked on grumpily as the old trainer spoke.

“I take it you're turning down my offer for mentoring you seeing as you're leaving the islands?” Hala asked, his hands going to rest on his hips.

“You guessed it old man.” Guzma scratched at the side of his nose, feigning disinterest. They were so close to leaving, and at this point, he was just tempted to pick up his bag and walk off.

Having lost Guzma's attention, Hala turned to speak to Clove. “I'm not surprised in the slightest that he rather leave with you; of course he would want to go with the pretty young lady,” he said with a deep chuckle, successfully embarrassing both of the younger trainers, though they displayed this in very different ways.

“I umm... thank you I suppose,” Clove said bashfully, dropping her gaze. While she was a little uncomfortable, the compliment was welcome; even if it was derived at the expense of Guzma.

“I don't know what you think yer suggesting old man, but don't!” Guzma snapped, less than pleased at the implications.

The horn to the boat sounded and Clove's head shot up to look at it then went back down to check her phone. “I've got a suggestion; get your bags so we don't miss the boat,” she said, sounding antsy but Guzma was clearly not done.

“This is a contracted professional arrangement, so don't get it twisted!” he jabbed a finger at Hala, letting out a grunt when Clove went behind him and pushed him up the pier.

“Guzma! I can't fulfill the contract if you're not on the boat, now come on! We still have to get through customs.”

“I'm going! I'm going!” Guzma grumbled, using his long stride to step out of reach of her hands, then falling back to walk beside her. His head turned slightly, as if he wanted to look back at Hala, but at the last moment, he changed his mind, keeping his head straight as they went to check in and get their tickets. After a grueling time getting through customs – in which Clove's Rockruff decided it was time to get out of his Pokeball and have a romp through the crowd – the pair made their way up the gangplank and onto the ship.

They were currently standing along the railing at the stern of the ship, watching the other people boarding. Clove sent Guzma a glance, studying the solemn expression on his face before piping up. “You... travel pretty light, even for a trainer,” she commented, uncomfortable in the silence between them. She watched as they slowly pulled away from shore, spying Hala waving at edge of the pier. She raised her arm and waved back.

The boat's foghorn droned out a long blast as they left the port, and Guzma waited until it was silent before replying to Clove. “I have what I need and nothing more,” he said, eyes darting to her collection of bags as if to prove a point.

Clove caught his look and scoffed lightly, lowering her hand. “Don’t assume I’m over packed; most of this is work related. Just wait until it’s time for us to hit the trails. Then you’ll _see_ what I mean,” she jabbed her thumb over her shoulder to indicate the ocean, looking rather pleased with herself.

Guzma rolled his eyes back into his skull at her words. “That was pretty lame, even for you,” he commented as he leaned his back against the railing, facing away from all the people waving the ship off.

“Well, I could just keep making jokes at your expense, but it wouldn't be very professional of me if I made you cry,” she snarked.

Guzma snorted. “Ha! There's no way you could,” he replied, waving one hand dismissively.

Clove raised her brow without a word, as if issuing a challenge to him and he rose to take it without hesitation.

“Tell you what; we have to put up with each other for over a month anyways, so why don't we cut all this professional talk out?” he grinned at her like he had some sort of juicy secret then continued; “you can still guide me around and all that, but talk to me like you're not working. Deal?” Guzma held out his hand, waiting to see if she would go for it or not. He felt that this would probably benefit the both of them; Clove could speak her mind, and he wouldn't have to waste energy decoding her pleasantries.

After mulling over his words a moment, Clove extended her hand and shook Guzma's. “Deal, let's just hope you can handle it,” she started right in, relieved that she could speak freely. It was a clever idea really and she wished she had thought of it herself.

“Oooh... now I know why your parents called you Clove; you got a lot of spice in ya,” Guzma grinned, earning an eye roll in response.

“And you said my comments were lame,” she said, flicking down his sunglasses with one finger then taking hold of her bags.

Guzma raised his glasses to look at her, carefully placing them back in his hair. “Where are you going?”

“I decided I rather put my things in the room instead of lugging them around,” Clove slowed her pace enough to call over her shoulder. “Come on, unless you wish to sleep up here.”

Unable to find a reason to argue, Guzma hefted his bag up and trailed after her.

“My boss and I decided that an executive suite would be the best choice while traveling.” She led him down to the second floor where the luxury suites were, mouthing out the numbers until she found the right one. “The rooms are quite large so we should have enough space for our Pokemon as well as us, though we'll have to share this one for cost reasons,” she said, placing her bags out of the way so she could open the room and digging out the keycard from her bag.

“Oh? Share a room?” Guzma spoke in a tone that instantly made Clove regret speaking to him in the first place. “And here I thought you didn't like me,” He ginned at her, leaning against the door frame and blocking her access to the room. “It's all rather sudden but who am I to deny what a woman wants?”

Hands on her hips, Clove regarded him with a flat stare then promptly yanked him by the arm out of the doorway, shoving him aside so she could unlock the door. “We're sharing a room, not a bed, don't get it twisted,” she sneered, catching Guzma off guard.

He scowled at her and folded his arms. “Hmph... using my own words against me...”

“You'll get used to it,” she tossed over her shoulder, wheeling her bags inside.

Guzma smirked to himself, following her inside. “I guess I'll have to, won't I?”

 


	4. Rough Waters

Twilight was slipping across the sky and the first few specks of stars winked into view, the whole show on display through the large pristine windows of the cruise ship's dining area. Guzma and Clove were seated near one of the windows, awkwardly eating dinner and avoiding eye contact with one another. They hadn't spoken much since getting situated in the room; Guzma had remained behind while Clove went to fetch the schedules and subsequently got herself lost exploring the ship. By the time she had located a schedule and found her way back to the room, dinner was being served.

So here they were, eating in silence and occasionally casting glances at one another, unsure if they should initiate conversation or not. After the third time their eyes accidentally met, Clove noticed that Guzma was now actively staring at her. “What?” She asked warily, lowering her fork. Samantha, who had peacefully been laying beside Clove on the floor, cracked her eyes open to watch the pair.

Guzma scrunched his nose up at her tone. “What do you mean “what”?”

“You're staring at me,” Clove said, raising her brow. “Any particular reason why? Or am I just too pretty to resist looking at?” She grinned at him, feeling quite pleased with herself when he sat back and looked away from her, shuffling around in apparent discomfort before replying.

“I was just thinking about... you being a part of the Aether Foundation,” he said as he looked back up at her, his expression growing serious.

Surprised by the shift in his mood, Clove was a little hesitant to speak about the Aether Foundation again. She had thought she already made it clear she wasn't involved in any of the darker schemes, but she supposed any involvement with the corporation at all would not sit well with him. “Yes? Go on...” she said slowly, watching him place an elbow on the table and prop his head up on his arm.

“I was thinking about... how _terrible_ that white uniform would look on you.” He delivered the line with a straight face, but after a few seconds, the corner of his mouth tugged back into a smirk.

Clove stared at him blankly for a moment before his words fully registered, then lost her composure. “Ha! You have me there. But to tell you the truth, they don't look good on anyone, no matter what they try to say,” she snorted, breaking out into laughter. He was fucking with her, and she had stepped right into it. There were now quite a few trainers at the other tables looking at her for being so loud and Clove shifted in her seat, choosing to ignore the looks.

She was enjoying herself, so why bother concerning herself with others?

Guzma on the other hand was not as laid back; the grin sliding off his face as soon as he noticed the audience and Clove's reaction to it. “Nosy little shits...” he muttered, getting to his feet and cupping his hands to his mouth. “You got a problem?! Huh? Come over here and say somethin'!” he shouted through the dining area, his face stern as he stared them down until they all dropped their gaze or turned away. No one else wanted to bother with him, more content on eating the rest of their meal in peace than picking a fight with the thug.

Clove watched him over her glass with interest, grimacing a bit at his raised voice but made no move to stop him as she was more interested in observing. How careful he was trying to hide it, but it looked to her like he was trying to defend her. She knew that the tough guy persona wasn't a complete act, but it was pretty clear that he wasn't as big of a brute as he pretended to be. Beside her, Samantha had raised her head and was now intently staring at Guzma, who picked up on it rather quickly.

“What? You got a problem with me too?” He rounded on the Pokemon, who just stretched and let out a long yawn, her gem glinting in the light.

“Unlikely,” Clove cut in, gesturing for him to sit back down. “Samantha here has a good sense for people, if she didn't like you, I wouldn't be here,” she raised a brow at Guzma as he sullenly slumped back into his seat, still amused by the little show he put on. “Seriously though, what are you staring at me for? Are you enraptured by my beauty or something?” Clove asked, trying to bring back the playfulness from their previous conversation.

Guzma scoffed and reached into his pocket to draw out the schedule she had retrieved for him, unfolding it and laying it on a bare spot on the table. “Nah, nothing like that; I was just thinking about what tournaments I wanted to enter,” he said truthfully, tapping the middle of the schedule, that sly grin of his creeping back onto his face. “Why? Are ya disappointed I wasn't thinking about you?”

Clove raised a brow, smirking back at him. “Hardly, though I suppose you'll be disappointed for my lack of concern?” she asked sweetly.

“Hardly,” Guzma rebuffed, looking smug until Clove leaned over and plucked the schedule out from underneath his hand to look at it. “By all means, help yourself,” he muttered dryly, letting out a heavy breath and leaning back in his chair.

Ignoring his comment, Clove turned the schedule over in her hands, reading the posted events for the week. “Well, the preliminaries for the main tournament starts tomorrow at noon... that one seems to have the best prizes,” she said, more to herself than Guzma. “And there's a smaller daily tournament... I might enter the one on Wednesday myself...” Her words faded as she eyed the entry fee for the double battles taking place tomorrow evening, entertaining the possibility of entering with Guzma as her partner.

They were both pretty strong, and it would be nice to do something besides paperwork while she was on this cruise. After all, she was supposed to be leading this trip; might as well do something fun with him, if he was interested of course. Deciding that it was worth asking about, Clove turned the schedule around so he could see it, her eyes sparkling. “Right... let's talk about your schedule then. What kind of battles were you thinking of joining? I can guess that you'll be in the main tournament, correct?”

“You're damn right I will,” Guzma said instantly in response. “And what about you? Are ya too scared to face me in the main event?” He grinned at her, though there was a nagging hint of disappointment at the thought of not being able to face her again; while he was still annoyed by the fact that he lost to her, an actual challenge besides that pesky little kid was welcome.

Clove shook her head. “Believe me, I would enter if I could, but there's still some work I need to do first, and preparing for the tournament instead would be counterproductive,” she said, adding to her statement at the sight of his faltering grin. “If it makes you feel better, I _am_ entering some of the daily tournaments... but I hope you don't expect to beat me.”

That seemed to cheer him up enough for his grin to return. “Better be careful girlie, you don't know what you're in for. You might have caught me off guard on the beach, but I know your style now, so victory is as good as mine,” he sneered.

“We shall see about that, won't we?” Clove spoke with assurance, looking back over the battle times and saw an opportunity to ask her question. “So, destruction in human form, would you be interested in entering the double battles with me tomorrow night?” she said, placing the piece of paper on the table. “If you think you can handle it.”

Guzma was watching her look over the schedule, the gears turning in his head. He straightened in his seat when she spoke to him, letting out a soft chuckle at her request. “Girlie, I can handle anything dished out to me, including teaming up with you.” He puffed up, looking confident. “They won't stand a chance if we go in it together.”

“I'm glad you agree,” Clove replied, drawing two different colored markers out of her bag and highlighting all the times they would be attending while Guzma watched. “Alright, if you're done eating, let's go get registered,” she said briskly, stowing away the markers and getting to her feet. Samantha came back to life, uncurling herself like a fern and following her trainer to the exit, Guzma trailing behind them both.

After they were both signed up for their respected events, the little group found their way back to the room, Clove nearly bowling Guzma over to get to the bathroom first.

“I call first shower!”

“Hey! That ain't right! Ain't I supposed to get it first since I'm the guest?” he jabbed a thumb to himself.

“Oh? So you want me to surrender the shower to you after you lost the race to the bathroom?” She grinned at him, gesturing dramatically towards the door. “If you insist, _sir_.”

Guzma puffed up, strutting up to Clove so he could loom over her. “Sir? I think not girlie, either call me by my name, or just call me boss,” he crossed his arms and leered at her. “Or you can call me daddy.”

Clove colored slightly at his words, but recovered quickly, quirking her brow at him as she spoke. “And what would you do if I did call you daddy, hmm?” she asked coolly, calling his bluff and silently hoping that he wasn't as serious as he sounded; otherwise, her words were going to get her in trouble.

Guzma flinched away from her like she took a swing at him, clearing his throat. “I... didn't think I'd get that far...” he said slowly, losing some of his swagger much to Clove's delight.

{You both are an embarrassment... are you just going to keep flirting or are you going to do something about it?} A calm, feminine voice sounded through both their minds and Clove whipped around to reprimand the source.

“Samantha!” Clove practically shrieked out, her face darkening to match her hair.

Guzma's face wrinkled up in confusion, looking from Clove to the Espeon. “Wait, wait, wait... that was your _Pokemon_ talking?” His eyes settled on Samantha, a cocktail of mixed emotions flowing through him, the main one being anger. “The fuck! When were you gonna tell me your Pokemon was a damned mind reader?” Guzma spat. He watched as Clove opened her mouth to defend herself, his hand shooting up to silence her before she could get a word out, his eyes trained on Samantha as she was speaking to him once more.

{You needn't worry. I won't go digging through your mind or try to control you. It's not really my specialty anyway, and besides, it's rather rude.} Her word choice made Guzma snort; sounded like her trainer's personality had worn off on her. Clove looked between the two of them nervously, as Samantha had spoke to Guzma alone, and she was unsure what the Pokemon might be saying to him.

{I can pick up thoughts at the front of someone's mind. They usually appear in flashes, as human thoughts are fleeting unless filled with strong emotion or focused on something.} There was a pause and Samantha tilted her head at the slightest increment, observing him and Guzma had a distinct impression that if she was a human speaking out loud, there would be a smirk on her face. She clearly was enjoying this far too much.

{Strong thoughts stand out enough that I can read them... such as the thought you had about Miss Clove.} Samantha was suddenly in his mind once more and Guzma flinched again at her words; he wasn't sure _which_ thought about Clove that Samantha had heard, but most of them would get him in trouble if spoken aloud.

“Alright... fine, so the Psychic type can talk to humans... makes sense... just stay out of my head!” He warned as Samantha dipped her head in understanding. Somewhat pacified by the gesture, Guzma looked up to Clove for a brief moment, his jaw jutting out slightly as he tried and failed to find something to say. He shifted from foot to foot, a wary expression on his face as he kept looking back at the Espeon; clearly his interaction with Samantha had made him very uncomfortable and he was unsure how to address it. “Erm... you can go ahead and shower first; I was going to take one in the morning,” Guzma grumbled out finally, scurrying away from the bathroom doorway to go dig through his bag.

Clove stayed where she was, flabbergasted by the exchange. She looked down at Samantha, her eyes narrowing slightly and the Pokemon merely gazed back at her, then glided by to hop up on her trainer's bed. Knowing – or rather hoping – that she could trust that whatever Samantha had said to Guzma was nothing bad, Clove went to quietly gather her things so she could shower and get ready for bed, glancing at Guzma then closing the bathroom door to start her shower.

Meanwhile, Guzma stripped off his extra layers and collapsed on the bed he had claimed, a sour look on his face as he mulled over Samantha's words. He sent a scathing look to the Espeon, who was curled back up at the foot of Clove's bed, either already asleep or ignoring him. Strong thoughts indeed... he had some strong thoughts for Samantha and he hoped that she had received them.

He laid there, zoning out until he heard the water turn off in the bathroom, rolling over and fumbling for the lamp on the side table, letting out a curse as he almost knocked it to the floor. He clicked off the light and burrowed underneath the blankets so he wouldn't have to talk to Clove; things were already weird enough between them without some Psychic type messing with his head, and he didn't know what to think about it, nor how to address the matter.

Clove stepped out of the bathroom, brushing her damp hair out of her face and felt her heart sink at the surrounding darkness as she had hoped to discuss things with Guzma before he fell asleep. She was worried that this whole ordeal with Samantha had brought them full circle, and he was back to being unable to talk to her. Oh well... she supposed she could start over tomorrow, skirting the edge of the bed and climbing beneath the comforter.

The pair of them laid awake, feigning sleep in hopes that it would finally come, but both found their minds too restless for an easy slumber. At the foot of the bed, Samantha's gem shimmered, but neither human in the room noticed, too lost in their own thoughts to pick up on it.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The first of the tournaments are starting and shit's about to get real, while poor Samantha is stuck babysitting.


	5. Shifting Sails

Guzma turned his head up to greet the warm water, letting it run down his face. He had gotten a rather shitty night's sleep, and the shower felt like heaven. Concentrating on the beads of water running down his face, he was just starting to relax when a sharp voice tore him out of his daze.

“Are you done yet in there?” Clove called through the door, tapping impatiently at her side.

“If you still hear the water running, than I'm obviously not done!” He snapped, his tone making Clove arch her brow. “Well, when you're finished braiding your hair, we have a tournament to get to!”

“Yeah yeah, I'll be out in a bit girlie... don't get yer panties in a knot...” Guzma said, muttering the last bit under his breath so she wouldn't hear, flipping the shower off and stepping out onto the plush hotel bathmat. He toweled off quickly, wrapping the damp cloth around his waist and took a minute to stare into the mirror, working up the nerve to head into the room. Despite how the playful the conversation was between them, there was still a lingering awkwardness from the incident last night. They both could sense it, and had been making random attempts to disperse the funk.

He knew that Clove had no ill intentions with him, but there was something about this entire situation that made him very uneasy, and the multiple... incidents that had been occurring did not help matters. Her former employers for one, even if she wasn't involved with all the chaos Lusamine caused.

Or the fact her Pokemon could read his damn mind if she so chose...

He pictured her grinning face a moment and snorted.

Or, perhaps it was nothing at all and he was overthinking things. Guzma let out a heavy sigh and dropped his gaze from the mirror, moving the towel to his wet hair and groped for his boxers, realizing with mild annoyance that he had left his clean clothes in the other room.

Just perfect...

He sighed again, gathering his dirty clothes and steeled himself to open the door.

At that same moment, Clove was pacing impatiently across the floor, waiting on Guzma to finish in the bathroom and scolding herself on what a mess this was becoming. It seemed that every step forward she took building rep with Guzma, something had to make her take a step back. All it took was one misstep and this project would fail, and then she would have to go out and scout for another trainer to escort around. What a shame that would be, given Guzma had so much potential.

Not to mention the effort it took to get this far to begin with.

The time wasted.

The awkward yet pleasant casual bond they were building–

Her thoughts were interrupted by the bathroom door opening.

Guzma headed towards his bag, eyes rolling as she rotated on her heel to face him, her lips parting to surely start in on scolding him for taking his sweet time but no noise came out, her brows softening in surprise. A muscle rolled in Guzma's jaw as he regarded her, his movements slowing, hand loosely clutching at a clean shirt he had retrieved from his bag. There was a lurch in his gut as he met her eyes and an intense sensation of being studied.

Why was she staring–

{She's thinking about touching your bare chest.}

Guzma flinched like he had been bit by something. The intrusive thought had come out of nowhere, but he had a good feeling who had sent it, eyeing Samantha across the way. She was curled up in the same spot on Clove's bed that she had been the night before, seemingly asleep. However, Guzma caught the faintest flicker of her gem and was certain now of the thought’s source.

{I never agreed not to scan her mind.} The voice sounded again and he caught another glimmer, the sight bringing up another concern; that meant the original statement was true.

Which was... unsettling for lack of a more articulate word.

Unsettling?

That didn't seem right, but it fit for the time being.

Suddenly feeling self conscious, Guzma pulled the towel from his hair and draped it around his shoulders, aware of Clove's eyes on him before he realized she was speaking.

Guzma cleared his throat. “Umm... what was that?” he asked, straightening. Numbly aware he was still holding his shirt, he tossed the damp towel aside and slipped it over his head.

Seemingly recovered from her little spell, Clove sighed in agitation. “I said you need to hurry up if you want to eat and make the tournament. Get dressed and let's go!”

“Yeah yeah, I'm working on it,” he grumbled, pulling his pants on.

Maybe next time it would be better to change in the bathroom next time...

Which raised another question; why didn't he do that in the first place? His normal routine had him bringing his clean clothes in with him for convenience.

Guzma shoved that line of thought to the back of his mind along with all his other concerns and focused on gathering his things. Still troubled but unwilling to dwell on it, he took in a breath and headed out of the room to meet Clove. He couldn't afford to be distracted by these things if he expected to win. “Alright girlie, stop your griping, I'm ready now,” he said, pushing his sunglasses into place.

“I wouldn't have to gripe if you moved faster than a Shuckle,” she said smugly, earning a scowl and a snort.

“And I'll bet you'd find something else to gripe about if I moved faster, now come on,” he replied, heading up the hall and forcing her to jog to keep up with his long stride.

Clove let out a huff, well aware he had only sped up to spite her. Still, if he was joking around, maybe he felt a little better about last night? She frowned; they probably still needed to talk, seeing as his trust was of the utmost importance, but right now was not the best time.

They arrived right at the beginning of the opening ceremony, Clove now half pushing Guzma along so he cold get signed in and placed. “Alright, now that you're here, I've got to get to work,” she said, shifting from foot to foot impatiently.

“Yer not gonna stay and watch me battle?” He asked, crossing his arms and frowning. He action was reminiscent of a pouting child, she thought in amusement, but no amount of pouting could pull her from her work.

She gave him a sad, polite smile and pat at his shoulder. “Afraid not as I can't finish that paperwork and planning out here with all the noise, but if I get it all done, I won't have to deal with it for the rest of the trip. Hopefully,” she added quickly, as Guzma's pout had lifted a bit and she didn't want to promise him something she couldn't deliver. “Don't worry, you'll do just fine without me,” Clove said with a wink, the action surprising them both.

“Well, best of luck!” She said, turning away and quickly retreating back to the room before Guzma could respond. She felt her face heating up as she whipped around the corner and out of Guzma's sight. Was she taking things too far? Being playful... well, that was always in her nature, but she felt that even with their agreement, she was still being a little too...

(Inappropriate maybe?)

Casual.

But Casual _was_ what he requested, so was it really... (unacceptable) wrong?

Clove argued with herself abut the morality of her actions all the way back to the room, collapsing in front of the tiny desk in the corner and covered her face with her hands, the heat from her still warm cheeks sinking into her palms.

Maybe... she was just overthinking it...

After all, Guzma responded pretty negatively to her more businesslike behavior – she herself hated being so stuffy – and when it really came down to it, so long as she wasn't violating any rules, it was her duty to make sure the customer was satisfied with the trip.

And... she supposed being good company was part of that.

Pacified for the time being, Clove set on finishing up the paperwork and filing necessary for the trip. Everything from passports and boarding passes (those could be written off as business expenses) to the permissions needed to travel through some of the tourist areas. Once done with this, she could focus her attention on the actual priority, Guzma. He did say he wanted to battle again.

She smirked to herself at the thought, continuing with her work.

Across the room, still curled up on Clove's side of the bed, Samantha lay watching her trainer out of one partly slit eye, her gem flickering dimly.

 

* * *

 

Clove worked late into the afternoon, unaware she had even skipped her usual lunch until she glanced at the time and saw it was a quarter to one. She push the chair away from the desk and leaned back to ease some of the tension in her spine. Breathing in and let out a long, slow sigh, she felt her previous enthusiasm for her work draining out of her with the motion.

Perhaps it was time for some food.

Her hard work had paid off, and the last bit of filing she had to do had to wait until they docked in Johto. She cast a glance at Samantha, who was already uncurling from her spot, stretching and hopping off the bed to greet her trainer. Clove chuckled softly, knowing her Pokemon's mannerisms well enough to get the hint. “Hungry as well?” she asked needlessly, gathering herself and going to leave. “Come, let's see what they have at the buffet.”

Without the mindless paperwork to lose herself in, Clove wondered just how Guzma was doing; the tournament must be close to over by now. Of course, if it was already over, then he probably was stuffing his face at the buffet and waiting for his chance to gloat. As they stepped into the dining area, Clove could hear the cheers from the crowds and the muffled droning of the MC on the upper deck.

Sounded like they weren't done yet, which thankfully left the dining area empty. She fixed herself a plate and fed her Pokemon, settling at one of the tables by the window. Clove had no sooner picked up her fork when the waves of people from the tournament filed in, the contestants at the head of the pack.

She picked Guzma out pretty quickly, his tall stature and white hair making him stick out like a sore thumb. Likewise, he saw her since the dining hall was empty, sending her an energetic wave and smug grin, the expression telling he had done well.

Very well in fact.

“Hey girlie! Shame you weren't there to see me place in the top ranking for the day,” he boasted as soon as she was within earshot, stepping to the table with an enormous place of food. It was stacked so high, she wonder just what exactly was keeping it from toppling to the floor.

Guzma put his plate down and dropped into the chair across from Clove. “Those other trainers didn't stand a chance... really, you should've been there,” he scolded, the effect ruined when he shoved a forkful of fish into his mouth.

Clove snorted at the sight and shook her head. “Well, you'll be glad to know that I got all my paperwork done so I can join you next time,” she told him, pointing at him with her empty fork before spearing another chunk of melon. “I can't join the main tournament, but I can watch. And win any of the others I sign up for,” she smirked, popping the melon cube into her mouth.

Guzma let out a dry chuckle, his brow arching. “Riiiight, you mean win any tournament that I don't enter,” he shot back, earning yet another snort from Clove. He was almost back to the carefree way he had been last night, which was definitely a good sign.

“I see you forgot who won last time,” she replied sweetly, her mouth drawing back into a sneer. “Sounds like I'll have to just put you back into your place. Remind you who's better,” she added, her words startling Guzma so much his food dropped off his fork before it reached his mouth. He recovered quickly, letting out a soft snort and leaned forward.

“Sounds to me like you're looking for another challenge. You sure you can handle it?”

“I can handle anything you dish out,” Clove replied with a grin, her eyes shining.

Beside her, Samantha sneezed, the sound was hardly a whisper, but loud enough it made both of them start and jerk them back to reality. Guzma sat back and coughed, his eyes dropping to the side and arms crossing.

“Well, whatever girlie, we will see who's better at the next daily tournament,” he spoke, shifting uncomfortably then went back to eating. It was clear he was trying to pretend that whatever it was that happened, hadn't occurred, so Clove played along, spearing another piece of fruit.

“Right, we will see.”

 

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you all for reading! Do let me know if you like it~


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